After a two-game absence due to an ankle injury, the Dallas Mavericks welcomed rookie star Cooper Flagg back to the lineup during their 114-97 win against the New York Knicks on the road on Monday. Flagg had a strong game, finishing with 18 points, seven rebounds and three assists, and Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd spoke about what he saw from his star rookie, as per Ron Harrod Jr. of DLLS Mavs.
“He looked good. The athleticism, the bounce, the spirit, the energy, it looked like he hadn’t been out,” Kidd said. “When you’re shooting the ball the way we’ve shot it here of late, the last three games, the court tends to open up. But even when we weren’t shooting this way, he was still able to get to the paint, that’s just how good he is.”
In what was also a little significant, Cooper Flagg’s return from injury against the Knicks also coincided with his first career game at Madison Square Garden.
While there has been strong competition from Charlotte Hornets rookie Kon Knueppel for the Rookie of the Year Award, Flagg has undoubtedly made his own case for the honors. After shaking off a slow start to the season, Flagg has seemingly found a groove as the year has progressed.
He’s appeared in 41 games so far, at a little over 33 minutes per game. He’s averaging 18.8 points, 6.3 rebounds, 4.1 assists and 1.3 steals with splits of 47.8 percent shooting from the field, 28.6 percent shooting from the 3-point line and 80.7 percent shooting from the free-throw line.
The Mavericks are looking to build on their current three-game win streak as they host the Golden State Warriors on Thursday.
